


A matter of life or death.

by percyinpanties



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:26:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyinpanties/pseuds/percyinpanties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It sounds stupid but… would you believe me that it’s a life or death matter?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	A matter of life or death.

“No luck again?” Percy asks when Ethan slumps against the other side of the bar, looking even more miserable than usually. Percy had seen the guy come to the club he worked at almost every other night this week, which would definitely be less amusing if Ethan had found someone to go home with by now. Percy wasn’t sure why Ethan was so bent on taking someone home, not that it was any of his business, but seeing Ethan get turned down by every guy he worked up the courage to approach was painful to watch.  Normal people might have given up by now. Not Ethan. He comes back night after night even though he has left alone at the end of every single one before.

“No…" Ethan sighs and runs his fingers through his dark hair. Percy watches bemused, mixing drinks for a couple of girls down at the end of the aisle. They watch and giggle – unlike Ethan they seem to catch on that Percy’s flirting. 

“You’d think I might have learned some things about chatting people up by now but I still suck at it.” Ethan lets his head drop to the counter then and Percy smiles sympathetically in his general direction.

“Why don’t you wait for someone to hit on you for a change?” Percy raises an eyebrow when Ethan actually looks up at his question and after he passes the ladies’ cocktails along, Percy pours the guy a drink as well. God knows he could use it.

“I’m not exactly a catch. People don’t even talk, let alone flirt with me.” After a moment of eyeing the drink suspiciously, Ethan takes it from Percy’s hand and takes a small sip. He hums at the taste, Percy made it sweeter than the recipe demands and Ethan seems to like it.

“You’re just a little self-conscious.”  Percy doesn’t have to look at Ethan to see he doesn’t believe him, but nevertheless, Percy means it.  
“You sure are someone’s type.” And by someone, Percy means himself.  
He can’t quite put his finger on it, but there’s something about Ethan, something that’s almost like a dark kind of magic that draws Percy in. It’s not only that, Ethan is certainly attractive, not even the off-putting eyepatch can change Percy’s stance on that. Maybe, Percy muses, if Ethan wasn’t the most awkward and least smooth person anyone had ever met, his looks and aura would work in his favour enough to get him what he wanted… even though Percy wasn’t sure what exactly it was that Ethan hoped to find here.

“I wish.” Percy almost doesn’t catch Ethan’s reply, but he catches the depressed look on the man’s face and that’s enough for Percy to decide that for once, he won’t just mind his own business. Several times now his boss has told him off for being ‘ _nosy’_  when in fact he had just offered people to be a listener and a shoulder to cry on. Percy knows many of them need a person like that, and talking to the guy that supplies them with alcohol seems to come easier to most of them than talking to someone they might consider a friend.

“So.” He says, crossings his arms in front of Ethan on the counter. “Why do you need to find someone so badly? You don’t  _need_  a man.” Internally, Percy is rolling his eyes at himself. Not even his friend Piper could have come up with a line cheesier than that.   
“Look at me.” That doesn’t stop Percy from speaking though. Sometimes, he wishes he had better control over his words – preferably before they were out of his moth. “I’m fine without anybody.”  
It’s not quite true. Percy hasn’t been single for long now, he never was usually, always having preferred being only a little committed than all alone. His last serious relationship had been with Annabeth, had been almost four years ago now. Everything after that… well, they all had been little flings. Maybe he isn’t actually one to give advice here, but for Ethan, Percy might just try.

“You don’t understand.” That makes Percy perk up, shake away his thoughts with a shake of his head and meet Ethan’s eye. He has pushed his dark hair behind his ear on one side, it frames his face and makes his cheekbones look even sharper in the dim light of the club. Percy has to force himself not to lick his lips, or anything equally telling.

“Explain it then. There must be something really bad if it makes you come back every night for nothing.” It’s probably rude to point it out like that, Percy imagines Piper rolling her eyes at him for how unsubtle he’s being, but apart from raising an eyebrow at Percy that seems to say ‘ _Really, dude?’_ Ethan shows no reaction to Percy’s tone.

“It sounds stupid but… would you believe me that it’s a life or death matter?” Ethan looks absolutely pitiful when he says it and Percy has to swallow his next question before it can fall off his tongue and scare Ethan away for good. Percy settles for biting down on his lower lip to hide his grin and raising an eyebrow at Ethan. They get all sorts of people here, but this certainly is something Percy hasn’t heard before. The man sighs deeply. “Knew you wouldn’t believe me. I’m gonna go home.”

Before Ethan can stand up, Percy surges forward and grabs his arm. Every voice in his head tells him that this is stupid, like alarm bells ringing ‘ _abort!abort!abort!’_ but Percy elects to ignore it. Now it’s not only Piper he imagines rolling his eyes, but his boss as well – tapping his foot impatiently and glaring at Percy. When he looks over his shoulder, there’s no one there though, so Percy takes his chances.

“I get off at one. Wait for me?”

* * *

 

His boss hates it when Percy chats up customers, but Mr. D isn’t here tonight (Percy checked) and Ethan seemed so incredibly happy with Percy’s offer that in the end, Percy couldn’t bring himself to turn the guy down just because he got a little scared.

He leaves at five to one, as soon as Clarisse comes in to take the next shift, changing to his street clothes in the back room before he heads out to find Ethan in the crowd. It’s not very hard to spot him, there are only so many dark haired brooding guys with eyepatches even in  the kind of establishment Percy works for, and as soon as Ethan catches Percy’s eyes, he pushes himself off the wall to meet Percy halfway.

“Tell me you’re not doing this because you pity me.” Is the first thing out of Ethan’s mouth and Percy resists the urge to roll his eyes. He should have expected something like this.

“No. I’ve been tempted to break the rules and ask you out since the first night you came here. The cute awkwardness is just added bonus.” Percy winks and Ethan actually blushes, turning his face away like he isn’t used to being talked to like that. Thinking about it, Ethan probably isn’t.

“Do you want to stay and dance?” Percy asks, ducking his head just enough that he can look up at Ethan through his lashes – something that most definitely looks ridiculous to every bystander but works perfectly well on Ethan. “Or would you like to come home with me?”

* * *

 

The first kiss is clumsy. Percy can’t find another word to describe it. When he pulls Ethan close by the front of his jacket, the man stumbles for half a step before he catches himself with his palm against the wall of Percy’s hallway, bringing them nose to nose. It would have been perfectly imperfect, the hitch in Ethan’s breathing when Percy leans close sends a thrill down his spine and so does the sharp intake of breath when their lips press together. Ethan is hesitant and careful, like he isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do how and when, but Percy doesn’t mind taking charge. He fells Ethan’s hand hover next to his cheek for almost a minute before Ethan’s fingertips stroke over it in a gentle caress, eventually settling at the back of his neck.   
It would have been a kiss like written in cheesy romantic comedies, their noses bump against one another and Percy chuckles against Ethan’s lips before he kisses him more insistently. Not even Piper could have described something that would have sounded more like it was out of a cheap romance novel…if it hadn’t been for the lights that flickered on all of a sudden and Ethan jumping back from Percy in surprise, stumbling against the wall and knocking over all the umbrellas.

“Relax, I hit the switch.” Percy laughs to break the tension and stop the apologies he can already see forming on Ethan’s lips. The man’s eyes are wide in shock, and maybe Percy’s imagining it, but he thinks he hears Ethan’s heartbeat for a second. When Percy steps aside to show Ethan that there is no ghost (or worse: a roommate) here with them, just a switch Percy leaned against with his butt, Ethan relaxes visibly. Percy steps closer again and this time it’s him who places his hand against the wall, using the other to cup Ethan’s face. “I can pick this up later.” Percy’s eyes flicker to the umbrellas in case there was any doubt to what he was talking about. “I have better things to do now.”

It’s all sweet at first, but even Ethan’s hesitance can hold Percy at bay forever.   
When Percy licks over Ethan’s lips, they part eagerly and with a small moan. There’s a hand fisted tight into Percy’s shirt now and another almost nervously toying with his hair but all that makes Percy only want  _more._ More of this, more of Ethan. Percy has felt this since the day Ethan first sat a foot into the club. Pressing the man up against the wall now is strangely satisfying, even though it can’t possibly be comfortable. Percy’s head is clouded with want and his touches soon grow a little rougher than they are usually but Ethan doesn’t even seem to think about complaining.

With quick fingers, Percy works on unzipping the leather jacket Ethan has never once taken off even at the club before and eventually he manages to shrug it off the other man’s shoulders. The jacket falls to the ground with a heavy thud, followed by Percy’s own.  
He lets his hands travel over Ethan’s bare arms right to the hem of the sleeveless shirt, feeling surprisingly soft skin under his fingers. There are scars, slim, puffy bumps under Percy’s palms that he feels all over Ethan’s arms and maybe that’s why Ethan hasn’t taken off the jacket before.  
Percy can’t help the hum rising up in his chest: there is nothing quite like discovering someone else’s body for the first time, not to Percy at least.

Kissing becomes much easier after a while, like they finally settled into each other’s rhythm. No clicking teeth or bumping noses, even though there still is a lot of laughing and smiling against the others lips involved. Percy manages to steer them out of the hallway and to his bedroom, with some giggling and stumbling as far as onto the small old couch he has standing in one corner. Percy doesn’t bother with the lights, he doesn’t need to see when he can  _feel_  instead.

Ethan doesn’t protest when Percy straddles his lap, and he makes an appreciative noise when Percy kisses along the line of his jaw, down to his neck and throat. There are scars here too and when Percy traces a particularly large one with his lips, Ethan shivers. When Percy’s fingers brush over the strap of his eyepatch though, the noise Ethan makes isn’t pleased at all.

“Not okay?” Percy whispers and wishes his voice would sound a little less hoarse. He pulls away a little, balancing himself on his knees on either side of Ethan’s lap to look at him. Instead of responding verbally, Ethan simply shakes his head and it’s enough for Percy to understand. Everyone has their boundaries.  
Percy cups the man’s face again, this time mindful to stay clear of the straps, and connects their lips once more. Their kisses are much sweeter for a while, gentle touches and hesitant fingers sneaking under the hem of Percy’s shirt like Ethan isn’t sure he is allowed to just yet.

“Take it off.” Percy purrs and licks his lips, the tip of his tongue touching to the corner of Ethan’s mouth and making him smile. Apparently Ethan doesn’t have to be told twice, his fingers roam over Percy’s stomach underneath his shirt, pushing the fabric up on their way until it bunches under Percy’s arms. Without hesitation, Percy raises them up and allows Ethan to pull it over his head, leaving him in just his jeans on Ethan’s lap.

Curious eyes and even more curious fingers card over Percy’s skin, less careful with every touch. When Ethan’s thumb brushes over one of Percy’s nipples, he stifles a small moan. Ethan’s eyes snap up, darker than Percy thought they could be, dangerous even.

“Don’t be scared.” Ethan purrs and his voice is different too, Percy swallows and shifts, but when Ethan cups his chin to pull him into a kiss – not at all gentle like before – Percy doesn’t even try to get away.

* * *

 

Percy knows he’ll feel this tomorrow. It was like someone had flipped a switch and turned Ethan from the shy and sweet person into someone who might seduce people for a living. Not that Percy hadn’t enjoyed himself (in fact, he can’t remember when he had sex this good the last time) but it wasn’t exactly what he had expected when he took Ethan home.

Limping back out of the bathroom after cleaning himself up quickly, Percy’s eyes fall on Ethan sitting on his bed. The man has pulled the covers around his waist, and he’s staring down at his hands folded in his lap. Percy cocks his head to the side, forgets about how sore he’ll be in the morning, and crawls up to Ethan.

“What’s wrong?” Percy purrs, lips pressed against Ethan’s shoulder and legs on either side of him. Ethan looks up, his expression is strange, but his cheeks have more colour than they’ve had any of the nights Percy had seen him at the club. Somehow, Ethan looks healthier, but Percy decides it’s probably better not to dwell on it.

“I am… I mean… I…uh…I was a virgin.” Ethan stutters out the words, back to being as insecure as he was earlier this evening. His face is beet red, and he refuses to meet Percy’s eyes. “That was my first time.”

For once, Percy manages to catch himself before saying something stupid, biting his lip in an effort to keep the words in. Percy guesses this explains Ethan’s desperation, Ethan isn’t the first guy Percy has met that seems of his virginity as a flaw. In the beginning, Percy might have suspected something like it, with the careful, clumsy kisses but in the end… Ethan hadn’t exactly seemed unexperienced to Percy.

“You could have told me.” He rests his chin on Ethan’s shoulder, offering physical comfort of an entirely different kind now. This definitely is bothering Ethan, even though Percy isn’t sure he understands at all. “Do you regret sleeping with me?”

Percy steels himself for a lot of negative responses to that, but the bitter laugh he gets from Ethan still stings a little. It’s softened however by him leaning into Percy’s touch and maybe, the laugh wasn’t directed at Percy after all.

“I didn’t really have a choice. I just wish… I wish I could have done this on my own terms.” Ethan does meet Percy’s eyes after all now, who tries his best not to frown. If things had made sense before, they sure as hell don’t anymore now. “I was dying, starving.”

There are a lot of things Percy wants to reply, many of which boil down to ‘Are you shitting me?’ and ‘Do you expect me to believe that?’ but instead he stays quiet and gives Ethan the chance to explain.

“Ever heard of incubi?” Ethan murmurs even quieter and looks away again, his expression pained and suddenly, everything clicks into place. The desperation, the sudden change in Ethan’s behaviour, the new colour in his cheek after they had sex, the starving… the way Percy suddenly felt really drained afterward.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Percy mumbles and tilts Ethan’s face toward his as gently as he can manage.  “You fed off me?” Against his tries to hide it, Percy’s anger is clear in his words. It’s not as much the feeding that bothers Percy, he doesn’t actually feel that bad, but the fact that it happened without his consent. “Couldn’t you have said something?”

Ethan looks down and shakes his head, Percy forces himself not to groan in frustration.

“You wouldn’t have believed me anyway.” The man murmurs and scoots away from Percy to the edge of the bed like he’s planning to stand up and leave. Still feeling a little violated, Percy decides he’s not having any of that.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asks, the edge gone from his voice as he wraps his fingers around Ethan’s biceps to keep him from getting up. “The least you can do is stay the night.”  _Because if you leave now,_ Percy thinks silently, _I’m going to feel used and thrown away_.

Ethan looks conflicted, like he wants to stay and at the same time doesn’t and maybe it would actually be easier on them both if Percy would just let him go. In the end, Ethan lets Percy tug him back onto the mattress and doesn’t complain when Percy pushes him down to cuddle against his side. It feels weird, awkward even, but even so Percy knows it’s much better than how they’d both feel alone.

“We’ll figure this out in the morning.” Percy says quietly as he drapes the blanket over them both, forcing himself to relax against Ethan’s side. An arm curls around his back and it feels much safer than Percy thinks it should.

When he wakes up in the morning, both his anger and Ethan are gone.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you thought down below c: <3


End file.
